We have witnessed several female actors quitting the acting profession after getting married in the past few decades. While many divas continued with their blockbuster streak even after they tied the knot and enjoyed it like always, a few actors took a step back from acting after tying the knot.

Veteran Bollywood Astrologer cum Business Transformation Expert Hirav Shah says, “It is common for Bollywood actresses these days to continue working even after marriage. This is because our actresses no longer see the ‘married’ tag to be detrimental to their careers in any way. However, tinsel-town has had its share of actresses who bid goodbye to films after marriage. Some were even at the peak of their career graphs.

Now, we bring you a list of a few actors who quit acting after getting married to adopt the role of a homemaker happily.

Asin Thottumkal

Asin Thottumkal, fondly known as Asin, tied the knot with Rahul Sharma in 2016 and quit her acting career. The 2015 Bollywood film, ‘All Is Well,’ was Asin’s last film. A couple of weeks before her marriage,

Asin had stated on her Instagram page that she had stopped taking any new assignments before her wedding.

The statement reads, “For all my media friends who still have not got the message, I’m once again reiterating that I have stopped taking up any assignments and have wrapped all my commitments before my wedding itself, including my brand endorsements. So request people to stop making assumptions about my assignments and work as I’m not doing that at this stage. Had made this announcement before the wedding itself.”

Babita

Yesteryear heroine Babita married Randhir Kapoor in 1971. Later, to look after her family, Babita quit films. The couple has two daughters, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan. But due to the reasons better known to them, Randhir and Babita have been living separately for the past decade.

Gayatri Joshi

Gayatri Joshi had the perfect Indian looks and decent acting skills to be the next big thing in Bollywood. However, the beautiful girl in Swades opposite King Khan Shah Rukh Khan also left movies after marriage. She married Vikas Oberoi, the Managing Director of Oberoi constructions, in 2005, and now has two sons with him.

Saira Bano

She was an ultimate diva whose one sight would take anyone’s heart away. Saira Bano was an established actress, but she happily gave up the limelight to revel in her role as a wife and a homemaker. She was 22 years old when she married her dream man, the legendary actor Dilip Kumar in 1966. She decided not to work after marriage as she thought their marriage might not work due to Dilip Kumar’s constant traveling for shoots. In her own words, “I have no regrets of not doing too many films post my marriage.”

Meenakshi Seshadri

In 1995, Meenakshi Seshadri tied the knot with investment banker Harish Mysore. Later, the actor shifted her base to the US and quit acting.

Namrata Shirodkar

In 2005 Namrata Shirodkar tied the knot with Tollywood Superstar Mahesh Babu after dating him for almost five years. 2004 released ‘Bride and Prejudice’ is Namrata’s last film as the actor.

Shabana Raza

Neha, also popular as Shabana Raza, married Manoj Bajpayee in 2006 and quit her acting job later. Later, in the 2009 film, Acid Factory, Neha played a pivotal role.

Neetu Singh

She started her career as a child artist and went on to work in many Bollywood films as a lead actress. Neetu Singh was only 14 years old when she started dating Rishi Kapoor, and at the mere age of 21, she tied the knot with him. Their wedding was the biggest and most awaited extravaganza of tinsel town at that time. Post-marriage, Neetu retired from the film industry.

After Rishi’s demise in 2021, Neetu is making a comeback to acting with the film Jug Jugg Jeeyo produced by Karan Johar starring Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, and Anil Kapoor.

Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre tied the knot with filmmaker Goldie Behl in 2002 when her career was at its peak. Later, in the 2004 Tollywood film, Shankar Dada MBBS Sonali Bendre played the female lead. She even did a cameo in the 2013 release ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara!’ Later, Sonali battled cancer and has been very active on television by judging several reality shows.

Twinkle Khanna

Being legendary, Rajesh Khanna’s daughter, Twinkle Khanna, did a couple of movies and later married Akshay Kumar in 2001 and quit the acting profession. Currently, Twinkle is a successful author and a columnist.

Hirav Shah concludes by saying,, “When it comes to maintaining a work-life balance, it’s always women who find this far more challenging than men. Especially married women who constantly try to find the right balance between their marriage and profession only to find out how their marriage affects their professional lives. But we would definitely want these actresses to make a comeback and give us more memorable performances to cherish.”

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